Brief Profile and History of my Chocolate Collection

1964

• Started when I was 12 and my father brought me 2 chocolate bars from Germany they were Sprengel and Suchard bars, whose wrappers I kept.

1968

• First letter to manufacturers asking them for sending me their wrappers. The first company, which replied, was Cadbury England.

1970

• 8 500 wrappers in my collection. The beginning of long exchanges with one Englishman – Mr. Harry Levene from London, who had until his death in 1996 the biggest collection of wrappers from chocolate bars and who supplied me with thousands of wrappers during 27 years. Exchanges with other Czech collectors, from the middle 70th there are regular exchange meetings twice in a year until now.

1975

• Number of wrappers exceed 20 012 and I became the biggest Czech collector and a member of Club of curiosities in Prague.

1980

• 34 000 wrappers from 82 countries and 1 348 companies.

1982

• I have got a permission for a first visit of Mr. Levene in London and also first visit of Caxton chocolate factory in London and the first opportunity of searching on the west-European markets–Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland.

• Attendances on a TV program for collectors – big success.

1985

• 50 000 wrappers was reached, first exhibitions of wrappers organized by Club of collectors. First visits from abroad to have a look at the collection – Trawigo and Gubor companies from Germany

1987

• A visit in Cologne by the Stollwerck company in their museum.

90th

many private travels and visits of numerous chocolate factories – Mars in Slough by London, Hofbauer in Vienna, Austria, Odense Marcipan, Denmark, Tirma on Gran Canaria, Sabú in Vigo, Spain, Walter Heindl in Vienna, Austria, Imhoff Chocolate Museum, Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa in Brussels.

1990

• 67 000 wrappers, travelling is allowed, visit of a chocolate country – Switzerland, Pfister and Nestlé companies and Chocosuisse.

1992

• First visit of the ISM trade fair, during communist era I wasn't allowed to visit this event.

1995

• 79 000 wrappers in the collection.

1997

• An article about my collection in the Czech most popular newspapers, a visit of Alprose World of Chocolate in Caslano, Lugano, Switzerland.

1998

• First exhibition on Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia, Italy – the collection of wrappers from bars was extended by old items – cocoa and confectionery tins, old paper and wooden boxes, metal forms, old posters and advertising material, in the next four years a small museum was created in one roof room of our house and all visitors are invited.

1999

• Cooperation on German – Czech dictionary for chocolate and confectionery makers.

• The second exhibition on Eurochocolate Perugia.

2000

• 94,154 wrappers in my collection, it became the world’s largest one, mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records.

• A long article about my collection appeared in the German Magazine Susswarenhandel, just for the ISM exhibition – on my 3rd visit

• In the Italian book Infinito Cioccolatare edited by Ali&No, Perugia  is presented my collection with several photos

2001

• Third exhibition on Eurochocolate Perugia which became a permanent one.

• Articles about my collecting in Consudel magazine, Holland and in Poland’s newsletter of the Wedel-Cadbury company.

• A visit of Cadbury World in Bournville, Birmingham,England.

• September 2001 – items on the exhibition Collector in Prague

2002 February

• Cooperation on an exhibition in Brussels in Chocolate and Cocoa Museum on Grand Place – theme of exhibition – „Chocolate, my beautiful love“.

2002 March

• Eurochocolate Roma – extensive exhibition of wrappers/30 tables/ in a big tent in the area of Villa Borghese Gardens, duration 9 days, on weekend days 500,000 visitors per day.

2002 May

• Exhibition of wrappers in Potsdam, Germany – 125th Anniversary of German Sweet Association.

2002 August

• Magic border of 100,000 wrappers from 125 countries and 4,000 companies and makes will be reached.

2002 November 2003 January

• Exhibition of chocolate packaging in Sparkasse Bremen, Germany

2003 March

• Short program about my collection in German ARD and MDR TV.

2003 August

• cooperation on the chocolate exhibition on tour in Germany, first place Leipzig August / October, then Essen November/June 2004 - about 50 historical items - Visit of Zetti Chocolate Factory, Zeitz, Germany

2003 October

• presentation of the collection in Czech TV

2003 November

• few Austrian packaging is exhibited in the first Vienna Chocolate Museum of Walter Heindl Company

2004 May

• visit of Halloren Chocolate factory in Halle/Saale, Germany - celebration of its 200 years of existence. Borrowing of about 50 items for the chocolate museum for one year.

2004 June

• visit of Choco Story Museum Brugge, Belgium - a new nice chocolate museum

2004 July

• an exhibition in Imhoff Stollwerck Chocolate Museum in Cologne, Germany - plus Milk minus Cocoa. About 100 items from the collection, packaging with children s topic - duration 6 weeks. - visit of Jacques Chocolate Museum, Eupen, Belgium.

2004 December

• chocolate exhibition on tour in Germany - Erfurt 12/2004-3/2005 - borrowing 100 items. Eurochocolate Christmas Napoli 2004 - borrowing items with Christmas theme.

• exhibition of wrappers with Easter theme on Eurochocolate Modica Sicily Italy

• Berlin Germany – visit of the biggest chocolate and confectionery shop in Europe of Fassbender and Rausch Company

2005
September -October

• exhibition of wrappers  in local museum Cocquitlam/Vancouver area Canada and on the West Coast Chocolate Festival, visit of the festival in October

• visit of Ritter Sport Schokoladen in Waldenbuch bei Stuttgart, Germany – shop and company´s museum

• exhibition of packaging on the 1st Choco-Laté Festival in Bruges Belgium

• exhibition of wrappers with football theme in Imhoff Chocolate Museum in Cologne Germany during football world cup

• visit of the German company Halloren, Halle/Saale – day of opened door

• exhSwitzerland – visit of the chocolate factory Frey, Buchs,Aargau, an exhibition of Soul of Chocolate on the Kloten Airport Zurich/borrowing several items from the collection/, a visit of Confiserie Sprüngli on Parade Platz and its museum.

• after 5 years another visit of Eurochocolate Perugia, a visit of Perugina Museum, in Rome a visit of the S.I.A.D. Antica fabbrica del cioccolato.

• exhibition of Spanish wrappers and two shelves of historical packaging on the Salón del Chocolate Madrid. Presence on exhibition about chocolate in the museum Bruntál, Czech Republic and on the exhibition about collectors in museum Jílové, Czech Republic.

• exhibition of wrappers and other historical packaging on the Chocol´Art Festival in Tübingen, Germany in the premises of local newpapers Schwäbischer Tagsblatt.

• borrowing of some items for the chocolate exhibition on tour of malls in Germany.

• long-term exhibition about chocolate in the museum Máslovice near Prague. A visit of Torino Italy and CioccolaTo festival. On this occasion a visit of Premier-Calcagno, Pfatisch and Peyrano chocolate companies.

• a visit of Wiebold company in Elmshorn near Hamburg.